The tribe at GolfNow.com has spoken: Metro Detroit's top 10 public golf courses

DETROIT -- Over the years, I've ranked the top golf courses in metro Detroit for various publications, and it seems the order shifts every time. I fall in love with one layout for a while, then that crush fades.

Turns out, I'm not alone in my mixed feelings. The ratings and reviews submitted by GolfNow.com golfers show a deep roster of quality public courses spread throughout the region.

The competition was fierce to make the GolfNow.com Top 10 generated by its users. I don't agree with every selection made, but it's definitely a good guide to follow when shopping for your next round.

GolfNow.com raters' Top 10 public golf courses in metro Detroit

1. Boulder Pointe Golf Club and Banquet Center: Boulder Pointe's 80-foot elevation changes and 15 lakes, located 10 miles north of the Palace of Auburn Hills, are ideal for golf. The vistas were much more sweeping and scenic right after the 27-hole routing opened in 2000 before all the housing sprouted up. My favorite combo is the Dunes and Bluffs loop. I always enjoy playing here, even though it tends to beat me up. It's the site of my only loss in an annual grudge match against my best buddy.

2. Moose Ridge Golf Course: I love the backwoods vibe -- it's almost northern Michigan-esque -- of this Ray Hearn design and its log-cabin clubhouse. Like Boulder Pointe, the 6,892-yard par 71 opened in 2000. Moose Ridge is not exactly near anything, tucked away in a rural pocket near the Livingston County-Oakland County border, but it's definitely worth finding.

3. Coyote Preserve Golf Club: The 6,921-yard, par-71 course, which opened in 2001 in Livingston County north of Hartland, might be my top choice. It remains the second-best of the five Arnold Palmer designs in Michigan (Shanty Creek Resorts' The Legend would be my no. 1). Coyote Preserve offers a slice of northern Michigan much closer to home, though. Its five par 3s might be the best collection in the Midwest outside of the Threetops golf course at Treetops Resort in Gaylord. The last three holes -- a watery par 3 sandwiched by two par 5s -- are so tough that they've been nicknamed the "Coyote Trap" by employees.

4. Eagle Crest Golf Club: I learned the game playing Eagle Crest while in college at Eastern Michigan University, so this place tugs on my heartstrings a bit. It's a keeper that I'd probably move up a hair. Like my golf game, Eagle Crest in Ypsilanti has had its ups and downs, but it appears to be on track these days. Dozens of trees have recently been cleared along Ford Lake, opening up water views and making the course more playable. There are no better risk-reward, par-5 holes in the state than the two on the back nine. Most golfers cut the corner of the par-5 10th hole, hitting over the corner of the parking lot of the Marriott hotel. The 16th hole along the lake demands two hazard-hopping shots to reach a peninsula green.

5. The Majestic at Lake Walden: The Majestic, a 27-hole course designed by Jerry Matthews near Hartland, set the standard for great public golf in the Motor City way back in 1994. Its reign continues thanks to plenty of wetlands and peaceful holes surrounded by trees. Golfers who tee off on no. 10 sometimes hop on a boat ride across the 150-acre lake to reach their starting point. I loved it when I experienced it years ago, but some golfers ruin everything by showing up late. Don't be that guy.

Jason Scott Deegan has reviewed more than 700 courses and golf destinations for some of the industry's biggest publications. His work has been honored by the Golf Writer's Association of America and the Michigan Press Association. Follow him on Twitter at @WorldGolfer.

Hi,
My name is Kenneth Hershenson. I just now saw this article on the Top 10 Detroit area golf courses. I am a Detroit area fine artist. I recently won a national award from the National Oil & Acrylic Painters' Society for my acrylic painting Jack of Clubs. I'm looking for a golf club that might be interested in having a print of my painting to display on their property where I can have a wall tag directing people to my website if they want to buy one. Or if the person buys the one on display, I would give a commission to the establishment and replace it with another. Does anyone out there know of a golf club who might be interested? Please let me know via email: ken@KennethHershensonArt.com
http://bit.ly/JackOfClubsImage

Ratings are a silly business, but this list goes beyond that. No room for Rackham, the great city course adjacent to the Detroit Zoo? Or a place like Salem Hills? There are dozens of fine public courses in Detroit's metro area that are completely ignored by this list.

Are you serious with Rackham? It's a below average course at best. This top 10 list is pretty solid. I haven't played Boulder Pointe or Eagle Crest, but Moose Ridge, the Preserve and the Majestic are all great courses. Any mention of Rackham in comparison to these courses brings them down.

Hi Ben,
That's exactly what the lede to the story says. There are so many quality courses in metro Detroit that it's difficult to put together any sort of top 10 list. Only courses that have tee times available at GolfNow.com were considered here, so some top courses were not included. But the point of these lists are to provide you with a "guide" of which courses are strong enough to be worth a look. It's not necessary an end-all, be-all list of the top 10. Rackham and Salem Hills are both solid as well.